


Something sweet, Something saccharine

by Thosesweetninjas



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Pining, Promises, This is just something sweet, almost dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25785676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thosesweetninjas/pseuds/Thosesweetninjas
Summary: Gai turns to lean against Kakashi's desk. Oh Gai has a brilliant profile, a thought betrays him. The way he side glances at Kakashi makes him feel like a teenager, butterflies fluttering around his stomach - or maybe it’s just the salty sweet taste of what must be salted caramel---“Coach Gai finds the best hot chocolate places doesn’t he?” He stares up at the ceiling and sighs fondly, he should’ve known his kids would have meddled somehow.//Oblivious Teachers and Meddling Kids AU
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 56





	Something sweet, Something saccharine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clarkjoekent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarkjoekent/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Track](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24242374) by [clarkjoekent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarkjoekent/pseuds/clarkjoekent). 



> Happy birthday Jules!!  
> I finally wrote for one of the AU's we've spoken about for ages /w\ what better day to post other than your birthday~  
> Ahhh I'm so greatful for your thoughts on anything, especially KakaGai and all the other ships  
> <3 <3 <3 <3 <3  
> I hope you enjoy this, I loved writing about Kakashi just being enamoured by Gai because honestly who isn't lol

Kakashi was swamped. The pages of students homework and assignments seemed never ending. He rubbed at his temples, stretched his arms and then his wrists. You’d think he’d get used to it but the holidays crept up on him, as well as the end of term assignments. 

He sighed, the heating was on full blast as per usual for the winter. Kakashi could outlast the summer heat with the fresh breezes but it was sweltering in the classroom. He had no other choice to shed some layers then. His cardigan was probably enough, it was loose on his arms with chunky buttons that were a pain to unbutton and rebutton after. He set down his reading glasses next to his phone, the kids hadn’t texted that they were home yet but Kakashi had gotten through a large chunk of grading.

He decided to just bypass the buttons and take it off like you would a jumper. His mask shouldn’t budge, there were no students around to see if it did thankfully. It was after school, a little bit after most extra curriculars would end - Kakashi was finally assured some peace and quiet. 

Back to the button problem, what Kakashi had thought was going to be a very simple task when he stood up from his desk turned out to be more difficult than expected. He’d gone wrong somewhere and one of his arms was where it shouldn’t be. He sighed heavily against the soft wool of the cardigan, of all the times to happen it was when he could finally relax and focus.

"Kakashi? I hope this isn't a bad time" Gai asks as he peers around the door to Kakashi's classroom, he left it open in hope for a breeze since it was quiet in the hallway.

He turns towards Gai’s voice, startled. He must be a fairly odd sight tangled in his cardigan. Yet Gai doesn’t seem to laugh at him, at least not audibly.

Kakashi flushes, he can't see Gai but he would recognise his voice in an instant. As he surely, surely would any other teacher, not from the many times he's been strategically reading next to the track field, nope, no.

“Sakura said you were staying late to do some grading, I thought I’d see if I could catch you” Gai seems to set something down on Kakashi's desk, although he can’t quite see it yet.

“Oh she did huh? How was practice?” he asks with feigned normalcy. “They weren’t too troublesome were they?”

“I would love to regale you with how your kids are doing but maybe we should deal with _this_ first?” Gai must gesture to Kakashi’s predicament, he’s always greatly animated when he talks… Not that Kakashi would know.

Kakashi tugs on the sleeves, he hits the rock in his pocket against the deak it makes a loud sound echoing against the wood.

“Was that you? Are you okay?” Gai asks, his tone sincere, _so deeply sincere_ Kakashi's heart hurts at the depth of concern. Of all his luck something like this would happen to him.

“Ah that wasn’t me, I have a rock in my pocket, uhm Tenzo ah Yamato, I collect rocks for him. It’s an inside joke. I’m fine” He still has his arms tangled in the cardigan. "Ah it uh isn't. I just uhm" Kakashi flails a bit, he doesn't know how he got stuck in the first place

“Would you like some help?” 

“I’ll get the hang of it… I.. Ah, I think a button is stuck… yes could you help please” Kakashi hesitates for a second before saying "If you wouldn't mind, this uh _really_ doesn't happen often"

“I’m sure it doesn’t” Gai laughs under his breath, he's so close Kakashi can hear the sigh he exhales "Now let's see what happened here" He places his hand against Kakashi's waist to direct him in turning around, it’s the slightest touch, barely there just enough to angle him a bit more in Gai’s direction. Kakashi swears the blush extends down his skin.  
“Hmmm” Gai hums whilst pulling down different parts of the fabric, “How _did_ you do this Kakashi?” he laughs, highly amused. Suddenly Kakashi can see and Gai is so close he bites his lip under the mask. Gai pulls down part of the sweater so that Kakashi can untangle himself.

“How do you think I did it?” Kakashi scowls, he can feel the strain in his muscles after so much marking, maybe he won’t make the goal he set by the time he needs to go home.

“That _is_ why I asked you” Gai’s voice is deep and _god does it make Kakashi feel things_ . Feel things like the urge to listen to Gai talk for hours, to merely be in his presence. _Fuck,_ he didn’t think he was that deep into a crush but his heart begs to differ. “I have no idea how you got so tangled.” Gai fusses with the material a bit more.

“It’s quite the puzzle to solve” Gai murmurs, he must be concentrating. “Aha” he says triumphantly and Kakashi is suddenly freed of the suffocating fabric as it’s pulled over his head. Kakashi shakes his arms out then takes the Cardigan back from Gai.

“Thank you” Kakashi says sheepishly, he feels a little self conscious as he tries to pat his hair down. It has a mind of it’s own usually but the static is not helping _at all_ right now.

“It was no problem” Gai’s tone sounds so sincere, it’ll be the death of Kakashi at this rate. As if it wasn’t an imposition to help him just then but something he’d be happy to do again.

At times like these Kakashi is more than grateful for his mask, he can still feel the warmth in his cheeks extending to his ears and neck. Although his shirt is opaque he feels like it’s _so obvious._ Kakashi buttons the cardigan back up with deft fingers partially to distract himself but also so he can pull it back on when he leaves, hopefully with less trouble. He flops back into his desk chair, with some sort of grace he hopes, at least in front of Gai but he gets the feeling Gai wouldn’t judge if he embarrassed himself again.

“You brought me something?” Kakashi looks over to the two take out drinks on his desk.

“Yes I did. There’s a cafe on the way back from track competitions, when it’s colder I get hot chocolates for the kids, adding another order wasn’t any trouble.” Gai hands him his drink and holds his own to take some sips.

“That’s thoughtful of you” Kakashi eye smiles at him, maybe Gai picks up on it or at least the warm tone of voice he uses he hopes. Gai hasn’t looked at him fully whilst he’s had his mask down to drink.

Gai turns to lean against Kakashi's desk, _oh Gai has a brilliant profile, a thought betrays him._ The way he side glances at Kakashi makes him feel like a teenager, butterflies fluttering around his stomach - or maybe it’s just the salty sweet taste of what must be salted caramel, or the sugar.

“Sakura did very well today, she - Ah I won’t spoil it for you, I’m sure both her and Naruto will want to tell you themselves of their accomplishments.”

“Oh? I’ll have to pick something up for them on my way back then?” Kakashi raises an eyebrow and takes another sip from the hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate warms him from the inside out when he sips it. It _is_ salted caramel, he wonders if Gai had picked it by chance or if his kids had conspired against him _again,_ between the two of them it isn’t unlikely. 

It’s perfect, there’s marshmallows and cream on the top, under the take out lid. It’s not something Kakashi has very often but he could get used to it, _really used to it._  
“I hope it’s not too sweet”

“I like sweet things” He looks to Gai “In moderation... it’s a taste I could get used to”

“A taste that you could get used to?” Kakashi hums in affirmation, “I’ll have to keep that in mind, for next time”

Kakashi saves himself from coughing at the last second, he’s embarrassed himself enough for one day thank you.  
“Next time?” Kakashi parrots back almost incredulously, blinking owlishly.

“You have my number already, Kakashi, we could make some plans. If you have some free time, or there must be group events I’m sure the all the kids would enjoy this time of year”

Kakashi did have Gai’s number, they hadn’t gotten around to texting properly but they had exchanged multiple pet photos of the ninken and Gai’s turtles. Kakashi had typed out many texts to Gai but had chickened out at the last second.

“We” Kakashi starts but finds himself dumbstruck by Gai’s gaze, the green tracksuit compliments his eyes _ridiculously_ well “We could do that, I should have free time” 

Kakashi finds himself agreeing to at least one invigorating brisk walk in the winter weather with Gai as they talk. It’s mostly by accident but a little part of him feels like braving the weather, something very close to hope, warm and cloying at his insides.

“I’ll leave you to your grading then, don’t be a stranger Kakashi” Gai beams at him, he stands up and zips his tracksuit jacket right up to the top, presumably to keep his neck warm in the cold.

“Isn’t it cold out just in that?”

“There’s nothing better than a brisk walk Kakashi, I’m not that affected by the cold”

“I’d feel better if you took this with you” Kakashi pulls his scarf from his bag, it’s thick and immensely comfortable. “It’s even green, it’ll match your clothes,” Kakashi adds to sweeten the deal. Gai was just about as stubborn as himself he suspected. Kakashi had bought the forest green scarf just _maybe_ because he was so enamoured by Gai’s visiblelove of green.

“Kakashi I couldn’t-”

“I have a fur hood, I’ll be fine. And besides you could give it back to me the * _next time_ I see you”

Gai seems taken aback by that, Kakashi wouldn’t offer a very cozy looking scarf without being serious in his actions. “The next time I see you then” Gai confirms, he smiles down at the scarf in his hands, thumbs running over the soft texture.

“See you soon” Kakashi smiles and waves, leaning his head on one hand.

“Very soon!” Gai exclaims from the doorway of his classroom, with a complimentary thumbs up.

The papers he’s grading are still waiting on his desk, he practically sighs into the hot chocolate when he takes another sip. He’ll have to get to it if he wants to get home in good time.

He selects another assignment to grade and tries to read through it but he catches himself rereading the same few sentences. It’s been a few minutes, he sets the papers back on his desk. He sighs loudly into his hands and pushes his hands up to push his hair back.  
“Of course, of course I have the worst luck” he mumbles to himself, of course Gai would be the one to find him tangled in his own cardigan.  
His phone distracts him from lamenting about the earlier mishap, it lights up from it’s perch against one of Tenzos plants that made its way to his classroom last term, it’s a miracle it has survived thus far. It must be because of Tenzo’s pestering about the plants when he visits Kakashi's classroom, quite regularly and not always for the plants he suspects.

It’s a text from Sakura, a photo of her and Naruto, all huge smiles holding up medals from track. They’re at home and Sasuke is in the background with Pakkun. 

“Coach Gai finds the best hot chocolate places doesn’t he?” Is the text attached to the photo. He stares up at the ceiling and sighs fondly, he should’ve known his kids would have meddled somehow.


End file.
